The overall goal of QFTP is to promote sustainable trade and create more and better jobs by strengthening the business competitiveness and capacities of SMEs in the organic and dairy sectors. It strives to do so through (1) improving and aligning the Ukrainian regulatory framework and business environment with European Union regulation, and (2) increasing the trade capacity in the domestic and export markets with higher value-added products relating to the organic and dairy sectors.
The theory of change inspiring QFTP (Phase 2, July 2023 - June 2026) is driven by stakeholders’ active engagement in shaping and implementing the different program activities, i.e., generating essential momentum to program actions that respond to market and business opportunities. Thereby, sector stakeholders’ involvement will relate to both of the program’s intended outcomes, regulatory framework (Outcome 1) and trade (Outcome 2), which were confirmed by public and private actors during the Sounding Board meetings held in March 2023.
Improvements in both areas will stimulate business and trade development in the targeted sectors and have positive effects on employment and sustainable trade, since companies will be encouraged to put more emphasis on quality and value addition opportunities. Both will help improve the sectors’ competitiveness (Overall goal).
From a market system and business development perspective, activities related to Outcome 1 will essentially contribute to an improvement in policy conditions, including systemic capacity development at the government level. QFTP will focus its support on implementation (Output 1.1) and enforcement and compliance (Output 1.2). Activities related to Outcome 2 will increase SMEs’ trade capacities in the domestic and export markets (Output 2.1), driven by systemic capacity development involving both service providers and sector stakeholders (Output 2.2). In the latter case, multi-stakeholder processes and networks will stimulate value chain development through improved business and market relevant services.
QFTP applies an intervention strategy that builds on involving sector actors in functional multi-stakeholder processes. This participatory approach aims to develop and work towards a common vision within each sector, based on the shared conviction about the importance of quality (in a broad sense) as a means to foster value addition by upscaling business ventures and collective actions. A core function of QFTP relates to capacity development (Transversal theme) at the institutional and sectorial level, linked to the objective to boost awareness, knowledge, and skills development among the sector stakeholders involved, thus empowering them to act in line with the common sector vision. QFTP (Phase 1, August 2019 – June 2023) started using a consequent capacity development approach with very good feedback from both sectors.
Consortium partner
Other partners
Project Management and Consultancy
